The U.S. Department of Education announced today the awarding of grants to eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) under the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program (Hawkins) and the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP). Additionally, an award will be made to establish a National Technical Assistance Center to Diversify the Workforce Serving Children with Disabilities.
The Biden-Harris Administration was the first to secure funding for the Hawkins program, which provides grants to HBCUs, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to increase and retain well-prepared teachers from diverse backgrounds in underserved elementary and secondary schools. These institutions have historically produced a significant share of the nation’s teachers of color, accounting for 50% of all Black teachers. In Fiscal Year 2024, four HBCUs are receiving grants.
Tomorrow, $1.5 million will be awarded to establish a National Technical Assistance Center to Diversify the Workforce Serving Children with Disabilities. This center will support HBCUs, TCCUs, and other MSIs offering degree or certification programs in early intervention, early childhood special education, special education, or related services. The center aims to help these institutions improve their programs and increase their success in obtaining federal grants.
These announcements are part of comprehensive efforts by the Department since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration to increase educator diversity. The administration has prioritized educator diversity across various grant programs and supported state efforts toward this goal.
In line with efforts to diversify Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) professions—including STEM educators—the Department is also announcing new MSEIP grant awards aimed at improving science and engineering education for underrepresented minorities, particularly minority women. In FY24, four HBCUs are receiving grants to address barriers faced by minority students entering STEM fields.
“Our nation’s beautiful diversity is one of our greatest cultural and economic strengths. The grants announced today build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments in HBCUs and will help put more teachers of color in classrooms and in STEM careers—two key professions of today and tomorrow’s workforce,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The four HBCUs receiving funding under the Augustus F. Hawkins program and the four receiving Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program awards will use the grants to further address longstanding barriers for underserved and underrepresented students.”
The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity through HBCUs has also established an Executive HBCU Space Lab—a collaboration between HBCUs, federal government entities, and industry partners aimed at increasing HBCU engagement in space-related federal contracting. This initiative includes resources such as SpaceTechConnect, a platform highlighting space-related capabilities at HBCUs.
A list of Hawkins grants awarded:
State: Georgia
Grantee: Morehouse College
FY24 Funds: $621,492
State: Louisiana
Grantee: Grambling State University
FY24 Funds: $378,939
State: North Carolina
Grantee: North Carolina Central University
FY24 Funds: $122,325
State: Texas
Grantee: Prairie View A&M University
FY24 Funds: $495,012
Total Funding: $1,617,768
A list of MSEIP grants awarded:
State: Georgia
Grantee: Savannah State University
FY24 Funding: $299,480
State: Georgia
Grantee: Fort Valley State University
FY24 Funding: $265,220
State: Mississippi
Grantee: Rust College
FY24 Funding: $296,375
State: North Carolina
Grantee: Shaw University
FY24 Funding:$227749
Total Funding:$1088824
